- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups white sugar
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 4 egg whites
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup strawberry syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (such as Baker's®)
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (such as Philadelphia®), softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 cups whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®)
- 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1/2 cup crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo®) (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Grease and flour three round 9-inch baking pans.
- Sift flour, 2 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; cut shortening into flour mixture until fine crumbs are formed.
- Beat egg whites, milk, strawberry syrup, and vanilla extract into flour mixture with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute; increase to high until smooth and blended, about 2 more minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Place chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl; heat on High in microwave until melted, about 1 minute. Stir chocolate until smooth.
- Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on High until combined, 1 minute; stir chocolate into mixture until well mixed.
- Gently fold whipped topping, pudding mix, and chocolate sandwich cookies into cream cheese mixture to form the filling.
- Spread about 1/3 filling on top of one cake. Place second cake atop filling layer. Repeat with a filling layer, the third cake, and a final layer of filling on top.